A Delhi court has declared UK-based arms consultant Sanjay Bhandari a fugitive economic offender on an Enforcement Directorate plea.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea by beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya challenging the proceedings in a Mumbai court to declare him a fugitive economic offender and confiscate his properties. The apex court dismissed the petition for non-prosecution after the counsel representing Mallya submitted that he was not getting any instructions from the petitioner in the matter. "The counsel for petitioner states that the petitioner is not giving any instructions to the advocate for the petitioner.
Offenders will be tried under Prevention of Money Laundering Act
A special court in Mumbai on Friday declared three family members of late gangster Iqbal Mirchi as 'fugitive economic offenders' under the provisions of a criminal law by the same name, official sources said.
Modi is the second businessman after liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya to be declared a fugitive economic offender under provisions of the Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEO) Act which came into existence in August last year.
Even existing cases might come under the proposed law, including those of Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choski. But, the law would not cover earlier cases.
Confiscation of the tycoon's properties will start from February 5.
Legal experts are not sure if threat of confiscation of property will be deterrent enough for fleeing offenders
Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya informed the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that he is unable to provide a definite timeline for his return to India, citing the revocation of his passport and also being legally barred from leaving the UK.
A special court in Mumbai has issued notices to Nirav Modi's brothers, Neeshal and Nehal, asking them to explain why they should not be declared fugitive economic offenders in connection with the Punjab National Bank scam.
A special court in Mumbai has issued notices to Nirav Modi's brothers, Neeshal and Nehal Modi, asking them to explain why they should not be declared fugitive economic offenders in the Punjab National Bank scam.
The HC posed the question to the 70-year-old liquor baron, wanted in India to face trial on fraud and money laundering charges, on his return home while hearing his twin pleas.
Rashid Naseem, wanted in India for an alleged investment fraud, has been arrested in Dubai following an Interpol Red Notice and extradition request.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it has restituted funds worth more than Rs 300 crore towards long-pending dues of the former workers of now defunct Kingfisher Airlines that was promoted by fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya.
Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the instances of people running away and evading the legal process was increasing and this needed to be stopped, as the current laws do not allow fully dealing with the severity of the problem.
Arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari has opposed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea in a Delhi court seeking to declare him a "fugitive " in connection with a black money case. Bhandari claims his stay in the UK is legal as the London High Court denied his extradition to India. The court's decision was also cited by an English court in April to deny the Indian government's request to extradite another accused in a rice-buying scam. Bhandari's lawyer argued that the ED's application was "vague, misplaced and without jurisdiction " and that the value involved in the case was less than the required Rs 100 crore to declare someone a "fugitive. " The Delhi court has sought the ED's rebuttal to Bhandari's argument by May 3.
If Mallya does not appear before the court, he risks being declared a fugitive economic offender, besides properties linked to him being confiscated.
In its report, 'Asset Recovery Guidance and Best Practices', the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, shared multiple examples from cases investigated by the ED, citing them as models of effective asset recovery practice and inter-agency coordination.
Diamantaire Mehul Choksi, a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, has told a special court in Mumbai that he hasn't been able to return to India "due to reasons beyond his control" and hence cannot be declared a "fugitive economic offender". The accused has claimed that he didn't leave India to avoid criminal prosecution nor is he refusing to return to the country. He said his passport has been suspended by Indian authorities.
Officials say that such a list, to be updated on a real-time basis, will serve as a ready reckoner in identifying those committing multiple economic offences
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has attached fresh assets worth Rs 29.75 crore of fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi under the anti-money laundering law. A provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach these assets that are in the form of bank deposits, land, and buildings, it said in a statement.
The CBI successfully managed to get Monika Kapoor extradited from the United States, ending her 25-year flight from justice. She is accused of economic offenses including forgery and fraud.
The ED had filed an application before a special PMLA court seeking the 'fugitive' tag for Mallya under the Fugitive Economic Offenders' Act, 2018.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said that while certain documents and furniture have been burnt in a fire at its Mumbai office, there is no impediment to probes or trials as files are also stored digitally. The fire broke out on Sunday at the mezzanine floor of the ED's Mumbai Zonal Office-I, located in the Kaiser-I-Hind building. The agency said that the fire was caused by a short circuit and that the office is now operational from a different location. The ED is also in the process of establishing a standalone office space in Mumbai.
The special court, however, did not permit the ED to attach the paintings owned by Modi and seized by the Income Tax department as the Bombay high court had earlier directed for the artworks to be auctioned but the money to be deposited and not disbursed.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case related to a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur. The ED has also attached properties worth Rs. 37.64 crore linked to Vadra.
Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in connection with the Sanjay Bhandari money laundering case.
The Enforcement Directorate Friday said it has attached gems, jewellery and bank deposits worth Rs 253.62 crore of some Hong Kong-based companies of fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi as part of a money laundering probe. Some assets of Nirav Modi group of companies in Hong Kong were identified in the form of gems and jewelleries lying in private vaults and bank balances in accounts maintained there and these have been provisionally attached under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the federal probe agency said in a statement. The amount kept in banks amounts to $30.98 million and Hong Kong dollars 5.75 million, which is equivalent to Rs 253.62 crore (as on July 22, 2022), it said.
The valuables include polished diamonds, pearls and silver jewellery and are worth Rs 1,350 crore.
The next hearing on ED's application before the special court, seeking permission to start confiscation proceedings, is scheduled for April 8.
Currently, confiscation can be done through multiple laws, but it is a complicated process.
The CBI has significantly increased the rate of fugitive repatriation, bringing back 134 individuals in the last five years, doubling the number from the previous decade. This success is attributed to enhanced diplomatic efforts, technological advancements, and improved coordination with Interpol.
The PMLA court in Mumbai has sought their appearance on September 25 (Nirav Modi) and 26 (Mehul Choksi) respectively under the fugitive economic offender law.
The data said the ED filed a total of 176 Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs), equivalent to a police FIR, against existing and ex MPs, MLAs and MLCs which comes to 2.98 percentage of the total 5,906 such complaints filed since the law came into being.
A senior IDBI Bank official allegedly conspired with businessman Vijay Mallya for sanction and disbursement of loan to the latter's Kingfisher Airlines, the Central Bureau of Investigation said in its supplementary chargesheet filed in a Mumbai court. Mallya is an accused in the alleged Rs 900-crore IDBI Bank-Kingfisher Airlines loan fraud case, which is being probed by the CBI. The Central agency had recently filed a supplementary chargesheet before a special CBI court.
Searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the anti-money laundering law rose by 86 times while arrests and attachment of assets jumped by around 25 times in the 10 years since 2014 compared to the preceding nine-year period, according to official data.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has earmarked assets worth about Rs 15,000 crore that will be restored to victims of real estate, Ponzi and other frauds across India during the current financial year. The agency has been "aggressively" initiating this provision for restitution since last year to ensure rightful claimants duped by financial crime get their dues. The ED has already restored Rs 31,951 crore worth of assets under this provision, including Rs 15,201.65 crore from 2019-21 in cases related to Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL). The ED Director has issued directions to all regions to actively work on cases marked for restitution of assets worth Rs 15,000 crore during the financial year 2025-26.
The agency said that since all the applicants, except one, were public banks, the money sought to be recovered was public money, restoration of assets in their favour was in public interest.
The ED has claimed that Nirav Modi had refused to join the probe despite acknowledging mails and summons issued to him and that he doesn't want to return to India.
There is no dearth of political will today to act against corruption and officers should take action against the corrupt, however powerful, without any hesitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances